“Gib . . .”
He forced a smirk, tried to make it casual. “Just ignore it. Thing’s got a hair trigger around you.”
Her eyes searched his, questions there, then answers. “Because I hit you.”
“Because you’re you, sunshine,” he said, honesty falling out of him. “I’m sorry. Shitty time for my body to decide to do its own thing. I’m not trying to come on to you. Just trying to be here for you. Give me a second and it will go away.”
Lines bracketed her mouth as her gaze traveled over his body again. His cock throbbed now, her eyes on him like gas on the flames he was desperately trying to put out. She kept her hand against his shoulder, her fingers curling into him. Then her nails dug hard into his flesh through his T-shirt.
A sharp kick of arousal went through him. Before he could think to stem his reaction, a breath hissed out of him, and his cock flexed against his zipper. Sam didn’t miss it. Like a predator scenting blood, she was onto him.
She wet her lips, still staring down at his now-painful erection. “Just the pain, Gib? That’s all there is to it?”
His jaw clenched.
When he didn’t answer, she lifted her head, met his eyes. “You know what I love about this place?”
The questions threw him. Everything about this woman threw him. He tried to find his voice. “What?”
Her fingers stroked the spot where she’d gashed him with her nails. “It’s like another world. It’s the place where I can remind myself who I was before life happened. I can just be, without having to worry about any expectations or obligations or prying eyes. This house is falling apart and old, but it’s mine. My memories linger here. My name is carved in the railing outside. This is my happy place. It’s my
safe
place.”
His throat went tight. She was going to kick him out now. She’d tried over and over, but this time he’d have to listen. He didn’t want to be the one to mess up her safe place.
But she didn’t step away. She moved closer. “And you know what’s magical about this place?”
“What?” His voice was raw against his throat.
She lifted her hand and pressed it over his eyes, encouraging him to close them. Her voice was soft and soothing when she spoke again. “It could be yours, too.”
He tensed.
The hand on his shoulder tracked down, raking nails lightly down his chest over his nipples, his abdomen, and thenlower. When her hand closed over his erection through his jeans, he couldn’t stop the groan from escaping. “Sam . . .”
She gripped him firmly, sending lightning up his spine. “You can stay, Gib. But if I let you into this place, you have to leave all that outside stuff on the other side of the door. We’re both safe here. I’ll give up my alone time, my privacy, as I deal with what happened last night. I’ll let you see me the way no one else is ever allowed to. But in return, you have to give me the same.”
Gibson tipped his head back against the wall as she gave him a stroke. His body was completely on board with any plan she wanted to offer right now, but his head wasn’t far gone enough to not hear the alarm bells sounding. “What does that mean?”
“You know what it means,” she said, a siren song in her voice. “While you’re here, you’re mine. There’s no one here to judge you for it, and no one ever has to know. While you’re here, I want what I suspect you’re more than capable of, Gibson. I want your submission.”
The rush of anxiety that went through him braided in with the arousal. He wanted Sam so much it kept him up at night, fantasies of those glittering eyes and wicked smiles as she made him do her bidding. He’d woven fantasies about her that he’d never admit aloud. And she was right. It wasn’t just about the pain. He knew what got him off when he let his fantasies charge off the reservation—the lack of control, the shame, the humiliation. He’d jerked off to stuff that made him feel sick inside afterward.
He
He forced a smirk, tried to make it casual. “Just ignore it. Thing’s got a hair trigger around you.”
Her eyes searched his, questions there, then answers. “Because I hit you.”
“Because you’re you, sunshine,” he said, honesty falling out of him. “I’m sorry. Shitty time for my body to decide to do its own thing. I’m not trying to come on to you. Just trying to be here for you. Give me a second and it will go away.”
Lines bracketed her mouth as her gaze traveled over his body again. His cock throbbed now, her eyes on him like gas on the flames he was desperately trying to put out. She kept her hand against his shoulder, her fingers curling into him. Then her nails dug hard into his flesh through his T-shirt.
A sharp kick of arousal went through him. Before he could think to stem his reaction, a breath hissed out of him, and his cock flexed against his zipper. Sam didn’t miss it. Like a predator scenting blood, she was onto him.
She wet her lips, still staring down at his now-painful erection. “Just the pain, Gib? That’s all there is to it?”
His jaw clenched.
When he didn’t answer, she lifted her head, met his eyes. “You know what I love about this place?”
The questions threw him. Everything about this woman threw him. He tried to find his voice. “What?”
Her fingers stroked the spot where she’d gashed him with her nails. “It’s like another world. It’s the place where I can remind myself who I was before life happened. I can just be, without having to worry about any expectations or obligations or prying eyes. This house is falling apart and old, but it’s mine. My memories linger here. My name is carved in the railing outside. This is my happy place. It’s my
safe
place.”
His throat went tight. She was going to kick him out now. She’d tried over and over, but this time he’d have to listen. He didn’t want to be the one to mess up her safe place.
But she didn’t step away. She moved closer. “And you know what’s magical about this place?”
“What?” His voice was raw against his throat.
She lifted her hand and pressed it over his eyes, encouraging him to close them. Her voice was soft and soothing when she spoke again. “It could be yours, too.”
He tensed.
The hand on his shoulder tracked down, raking nails lightly down his chest over his nipples, his abdomen, and thenlower. When her hand closed over his erection through his jeans, he couldn’t stop the groan from escaping. “Sam . . .”
She gripped him firmly, sending lightning up his spine. “You can stay, Gib. But if I let you into this place, you have to leave all that outside stuff on the other side of the door. We’re both safe here. I’ll give up my alone time, my privacy, as I deal with what happened last night. I’ll let you see me the way no one else is ever allowed to. But in return, you have to give me the same.”
Gibson tipped his head back against the wall as she gave him a stroke. His body was completely on board with any plan she wanted to offer right now, but his head wasn’t far gone enough to not hear the alarm bells sounding. “What does that mean?”
“You know what it means,” she said, a siren song in her voice. “While you’re here, you’re mine. There’s no one here to judge you for it, and no one ever has to know. While you’re here, I want what I suspect you’re more than capable of, Gibson. I want your submission.”
The rush of anxiety that went through him braided in with the arousal. He wanted Sam so much it kept him up at night, fantasies of those glittering eyes and wicked smiles as she made him do her bidding. He’d woven fantasies about her that he’d never admit aloud. And she was right. It wasn’t just about the pain. He knew what got him off when he let his fantasies charge off the reservation—the lack of control, the shame, the humiliation. He’d jerked off to stuff that made him feel sick inside afterward.
He
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